When dolley madison took command of the white house. After decades of silence, white house domestic staff share stories in. The butler, based on the story of longtime white house butler eugene allen, hits theaters friday. A witness to history atlantic county library system. By signing up, youll get thousands of stepbystep solutions to your homework questions. Since then, haygood has written a book about allen, the butler.
Lee daniels directs forest whitaker and oprah winfrey who portray husband and wife cecil and gloria gaines. But in the end, there was only one black man who stayed on the executive staff. Starring forest whitaker as longserving white house butler cecil. Michael wolff, author of white house tellall book, says. This mesmerizing companion book to the awardwinning film the butler traces the civil rights movement and explores crucial moments of twentieth century american history through the eyes of eugene allena white house butler who served eight presidents over the course of thirtyfour years. Allens life was the inspiration for the 20 film the butler. Former first lady michelle obama kicked off her book tour with oprah winfrey in chicago. There was a butler called alonso fields who worked there for more than two decades. Matt white court named through major gift butler stories. Sorensen tried to address the matter of blacks in the white house. When the butler comes out on august 16, there will be three black men that made it happen director lee daniels, white house butler eugene allen and journalist wil haygood, who wrote the original washington post article, a butler well served by this election that inspired the movie. The book, which will be published at the end of january, describes a nest of backstabbing and. Former white house butler on past presidents and the hope. My thirty years backstairs at the white house by lillian.
The butler by wil haygood this mesmerizing companion book to the awardwinning film. Tene croom sat down for an exclusive interview with washington post national reporter wil haygood who wrote the butler. This short book traces the history of white house staff from the very beginning. Cozy white cottage author, liz marie, is looking for pantry insipiration for her new project. After his retirement, the indiana native wrote a book, my 21 years in the white house, and later was the subject of a oneman theater show, looking over the presidents shoulder. The white house chief usher is the head of household staff and operations at the white house, the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the united states of america. White house secrets revealed by butlers in new book by. The book is full of details from his personal journal. Eugene allen july 14, 1919 march 31, 2010 was an american waiter and butler who worked for the us government at the white house for. A book and a oneman show detail the life of white house chief butler alonzo fields. A book and a oneman show detail the life of alonzo fields, the white houses first africanamerican chief butler.
The butler book by wil haygood, lee daniels official. My thirty years backstairs at the white house book. The indiana native wrote a book, my 21 years in the white house, and later was the subject of a oneman theater show, looking over the. The butler book by wil haygood, lee daniels official publisher. This mesmerizing companion book to the awardwinning film the butler traces. With each book, a brief period of history is recapped. There were other black butlers at the white house who existed for many years. The book, which will be published at the end of january, describes a nest of backstabbing and duplicity within the west wing, a. When acclaimed washington post writer wil haygood had an early hunch that. During the presidencies of harry truman to ronald reagan, eugene allen was a butler in the most. Michael wolff, author of a new bombshell book on the trump white house, said friday he spent three hours with the president during the 2016 campaign and.
I wish we could have a window in ours but its in the middle of our house so it would just be a window into another room in the house. Backstairs at the white house is a 1979 nbc television miniseries based on the book my thirty years backstairs at the white house by lillian rogers parks with frances spatz leighton. During all my years of managing the white house my loyalty was not to any one president but rather to the presidency and to the institution that is the white house, j. Not many people are privy to the innerquarters of the white house. New tellall book details life inside the white house. The indiana native wrote a book, my 21 years in the white house, and later was the subject of a oneman theater show. After decades of silence, white house domestic staff share stories in new book.
Basically, you know, what was written in the summary of the book. Indianapolis friends and fraternity brothers of 1989 butler university graduate matt white have made a major gift to butler university toward the second phase of renovations to hinkle fieldhouse, set to begin in may 2019. The 82yearold says he wishes he was 30 years younger so he could work for barack obama. A white house spokeswoman declined to comment on the book.
When dolley madison took command of the white house it is thanks to the first lady that the famous stuart painting of george washington survived the british armys invasion of d. Cecil gaines was a sharecroppers son who grew up in the 1920s as a domestic servant for the white family who casually destroyed his. The butler comes to the page and the screen the story of eugene allen, a butler who served in the white house during the terms of eight presidents. Wil haygood adds eugene allens chronicle to his impressive list of essential works on great figures in black and american history. Inside the private world of the white house kate andersen. Timothy harleth was appointed the current chief usher by president donald trump on june 23, 2017. Book, written by kate andersen brower, is being published on tuesday. Since the turn of the 20th century, there have been nine chief ushers. For good reason, too, because fields, who worked in the white house from the hoover to eisenhower administrations, was the first africanamerican to be promoted to chief butler. There was another black butler there named john strickland who worked there for 43 years. Inside the private world of the white house and its anecdotes lacks in nutritious content, says washington post columnist kathleen.
Based on the life story of longserving white house butler eugene allen, lee daniels the butler was one of 20s mostsuccessful movies, winning raves from critics and drawing big boxoffice. When juanita hudson first heard about the movie lee daniels the butler, a story of a black man who was a white house butler for decades, she. Karens newest novel, the christmas spirits on tradd street, is the highly anticipated sixth book in the tradd street series and published on october, 22, 2019 by berkley publishing, a division of penguin random house publishing group. But, as a new film reveals, the white house built by slaves has a shameful history of treating black staff abominably. Former first lady michelle obama describes life in the. Fields 19001994 began his employment at the white house in 1931, and kept a journal of his meetings with the presidents and their families. My 21 years in the white house, first published in 1960, is the fascinating account by alonzo fields of his service as head butler under 4 presidents.
As former first lady laura bush wrote in her book spoken from the. Alonzo fields made history as the first africanamerican to be promoted to chief butler of the white house. Former white house butler on past presidents and the hope barack obama brings for one veteran white house butler, barack obamas victory was especially poignant. New film the butler reveals the white houses shameful.
It includes profiles of some of the most influential members, including alonzo fields and eugene allen. But as for the book itself, its an amazing story told by a great writer. Author kate andersen brower and former white house florist ronn payne. With the gift, the donors have chosen to honor white, who passed away after a 19year battle with als on friday, feb. Eugene allen july 14, 1919 march 31, 2010 was an american waiter and butler who worked for the us government at the white house for 34 years until he retired as the head butler in 1986. The butler by wil haygood this mesmerizing companion book to the award winning film. The series, produced by ed friendly productions, is the story of behindthescenes workings of the white house and the relationship between the staff and the first families. They are the ushers and butlers of the white house. Book by former staff member describes a white house out. The white house help has spoken, and the picture they paint in a gossipy new tellall book often isnt a flattering one for many of the past and present occupants of the white house. During the presidencies of harry truman to ronald reagan, eugene allen was a butler in the most famous of.
The historic landmarks that surround the white house a tour of the white house americas most famous house see more collections. Haygood revealed that he had tracked down another white house butler. Indianapolis when juanita hudson first heard about the movie lee daniels the butler, a story of a black man who was a white house butler for decades, she thought the film might be about her uncle, alonzo fields. Stories from the worlds most famous residence by noel grove, laura bush, et al. How the butler got his job at the white house allen learned of a job at a country club in washington, d. The book is brief, but the two sections and many images of allens quietly. A witness to history hardcover july 30, 20 by wil haygood author. Reader chris wrote in wondering how the butler did it became a mystery fiction cliche and who the first guilty butler was.
But wil haygoods 2008 washington post article about white house. Seeking an africanamerican who had worked in the white house dur. They met at a birthday party in washington in 1942, and married a year later in. Cozy white cottage offers inspiration for every style, from country farmhouse to urban. Here he is at the white house while kennedy contemplates the cuban missile crisis. Backstairs at the white house tv miniseries 1979 imdb. White house butler eugene allen served eight presidents by wil haygood christine limerick, a retired executive housekeeper, said she participated. Alonzo spent 21 years in the white house as head butler under four presidents, hoover, roosevelt, truman and eisenhower. The trump administration has fired the white house chief usher the first woman and second africanamerican to hold the nonpartisan position, according to a. Former white house butler reflects on his service lynwood westray recalls poignant moments from his 32 years in the white house serving eight presidents, from john f. Stories from private living quarters of the white house shown here on.
Wil haygood is an american journalist and author who is known for his 2008 article a butler well served by this election in the washington post about eugene allen, which served as the basis for the 20 movie the butler. The residence dishes tales of maids and butlers who served the first. In telling a simple story of an american family, it becomes more powerful than any screed could have been. A witness to history should get just as much, if not more, attention than the film which uses its story for thematic foundation. A butler well served by this election the washington post. Historycaps is an imprint of bookcaps study guides. Its obvious too that besides the book by lillian rogers parks, there are also bits from other white house books that are frequently used by historians leslie nielson plays white house usher ike hoover, who wrote an important volume that is frequently used as a source book. Its not surprising that some broad creative license was. Colman domingo as freddie fallows, the white house maitre d. The movie is based on reallife white house butler eugene allen, who worked in the white house under eight presidents, coming of age during segregation and living to see a black man be elected to the white.
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